365 beers in 365 days

Hi, and sorry in advance about this rushed post, but I’ve got a ferry to catch!

Nobody will be in the least bit surprised to hear I loved this Vintage Ale. In my mind, ageing an English Strong Ale is like adding bacon to macaroni cheese – making a good thing irresistible.

This one had aromas of ripe apricots, toffee, fortified wine, and a whiff of alcohol. In the mouth it was full and malty, with fruity notes adding complexity to what otherwise could have been a bit too much of an alcohol-fest. Cutting through the sweet malt were resinous hops, which lead to a bitter finish and made me thirsty for the next sip.

So thirsty in fact that I drank all of it myself and had a mild hangover the next morning, but that’s what you get when you add bacon to macaroni. Nobody can expect you to act reasonably.

OK – happy Friday afternoon everyone! I hope your first beer is in the fridge (and not the freezer) already.

I like the idea of beer and food matching (who wouldn’t? Beer and food are awesome!), but I must confess it’s not something I put much effort into at home.

This is because I try to only drink one beer each day, and by the time dinner is ready that beer is usually nothing more than a sticky residue in my glass.

However, last night was once of the rare occasions where I actually managed to wait until dinner to have my beer and I pulled out a match that I thought was a bit clever: Kedgeree and English IPA.

You see, kedgeree was a dish that British Colonials ate for breakfast in India, and IPA was a beer that British Colonials in India were sent to drink. Therefore, they had to be perfect together, right?

The Fullers India Pale Ale is a classic example of the style. I know this because when I Wiki’d IPA (who says I don’t do my research!) there was a picture of Fullers IPA on the page. This and the fact that it’s made with English malts and hops and what not convinced me that it was definitely the right choice for my Anglo-Indian pairing.

In the end I don’t really know, because the kedgeree was pretty bad. I overdid it on the Garam Masala and it was a bit like licking a spice shop floor. The Fullers IPA on the other hand was quite nice indeed.

Once I got the spice shop out of my mouth and could actually taste it, I got generous helpings of caramelly, buttery malt, up against juicy citrus hops with a hint of pine. It didn’t have as much bite as the NZ and American IPA’s I’ve had recently, but there was enough bitterness at the finish to balance things out. It was like eating chocolate in bed, you know? Soft and comfortable, but still a little bit exciting.

PS : In case anyone doesn’t know what Kedgeree is – it’s a rice dish made with smoked fish, parsley, spices, egg, and a few other bits and pieces. It’s usually pretty delicious (so long as I’m not cooking it), and looks a bit like this: